D 5 Egyptian Civilization

D5: Egypt: Unification and Old, Middle
and New Kingdoms

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M A Kawser, [email protected]
Egypt and Mesopotamia: contrasts
• Almost as old as Mesopotamian civilizations
• More stable compared to Mesopotamia
• More pleasant climate
• Availability of metals & building stone in contrast
to Mesopotamian mud-brick
• Regular flood of Nile was in contrast to
unpredictable flooding of Tigris and Euphrates
• Natural barriers (desert, Mediterranean Sea, Nile
cataracts) in contrast to Mesopotamian open plain
land
2
• The longest river on earth The Nile
– 6,853 km
• 2 streams: White Nile
from Central Africa and Blue
Nile from Ethiopia - merge
near Khartoum (Sudan) and
flow onto the Mediterranean
• Egypt named “Gift of the
Nile” by Herodotus (484 -
425 BCE) due to:
• Predictable annual floods
carrying rich alluvial silt
• Navigation- friendly,
abundance of fish, geese etc. 3
Geography and common culture
• Limited area of fertile soil (less than

12,000 sq. miles out of nearly 400,000 sq.
miles) – forcing people to live in a compact
society
• Surrounded by sea (Mediterranean),
deserts and cataracts (waterfalls),
Egyptians developed a common culture
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5
Lower and Upper Egypt
• Traditional rivalry between
fertile Lower Egypt (North)
and arid Upper Egypt
(South)
• Emergence of two
kingdoms by 4000 BCE – in
Lower and Upper Egypt
• Narmer (Menes) a king of
Upper Egypt, united both
parts around 3100 BCE
• Egyptian kings known as
Pharaoh 6
Main periods
• Archaic Period (3100 – 2686 BCE)
• Old Kingdom (2686 – 2181 BCE)
• Middle Kingdom (2055 – 1650 BCE)
• New Kingdom (1550 – 1069 BCE)
• Late Period ((747 – 332 BCE)
• There were gaps or intermediate periods between the
three Kingdoms
Ruled by 31 dynasties during 3 millennia (from 3100

to 332 BCE)
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Archaic period (3100 – 2686 BCE)
• Narmer (Menes) founded the 1st Dynasty in c. 3100
BCE
• During the Archaic Period, canals were dug, cities and
roads were built
• Centralized bureaucracy and a well-developed written
language
• Initial burial monuments called Mastaba - later turned
into gigantic Pyramids
• The purpose was to preserve and glorify the bodies of
Pharaohs and their relatives
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Mastaba- precursor to pyramid
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Old Kingdom (2686 – 2181 BCE)
• Absolute state power controlled by the Pharaoh,

considered as representatives of Sun god
• Step pyramid built by Pharaoh Djoser - predecessor of
gigantic pyramids of later days
• Pharaohs married sisters to keep the “divine blood”
uncontaminated
• Pharaoh himself was the chief priest
• No standing army
• Considered the “Golden Age” of Egyptian civilization
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Step pyramid
Pharaoh Zoser
Collapse of the Old Kingdom around 2181 BCE

mainly due to: climate change, economic crisis,
social and political unrest 11
Middle Kingdom (2050-1650 BCE)
• Foundation of Middle Kingdom after a
century-long power struggle and chaos
• Alliance with middle class - nobility kept in
check
• Stability and prosperity for about 4 centuries
• Extensive drainage and irrigation projects
• Built more temples than pyramids
• Famous Pharaohs: Amenhotep I, Sesostris I &
III, Amenhotep III
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Pyramid
• About 80 ancient pyramids known so
far
• Not just tombs – huge monuments
meant to glorify the Pharaoh
• Three largest and best-preserved
pyramids at Giza built at the beginning
of the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Khufu
• The most prominent one known as the „Great Pyramid‟

(481 ft above ground) – built for pharaoh Khufu
• Over 20,000 workers – about 14 years
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Great Pyramid of Giza (Pharaoh Khufu)
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Luxor temple
Amenhotep III
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Karnak temple
Amenhotep IV
(Akhenaten)
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T 5: Egypt: Middle and New Kingdoms
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Decline of the Middle Kingdom
• Gradual weakening of Middle Kingdom led to
Hyksos invasion around 1650
• Hyksos – “rulers of foreign lands” from West Asia
• New methods of warfare with horses, chariots
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New Kingdom (1550-1069 BCE)
• After Century-long Hyksos rule,

foundation of the New Kingdom under the
leadership of Ahmose I
• Invasion of Syria and Palestine
• Increased military power with a standing
army
• Nobles became courtiers or members of
royal bureaucracy under the complete
domination of the Pharaohs 19
New Kingdom (Cont)
•Ramesses II (c.1303 BC -
1213 BCE) also known as (aka)
Ramesses the Great
• Most powerful and one of the
longest serving (66 years) Pharaohs
• Built cities, temples and
monuments
• Led many successful military
campaigns
• Signed the first known peace
treaty in 1258 BCE with the Hittites
• Deified during 30th year of reign 20
(Sed Festival) Ramesses the Great
Society and family
• Class divided –
male dominated
• Positions shifted
over times
• Polygamy permitted
- but basically
monogamous
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Position of women
Women were not entirely
subordinated to men - could
own and inherit property,
Engage in business
● Occasionally became rulers: Hatshepsut

most powerful female Pharaoh of Egypt –
ruled as her son’s (Thutmosis III) Regent
(c.1479 - 1458 BCE) and Cleopatra 22 ruled
Egypt during 69 – 30 BCE
Economy
• Based on agriculture
• Trade with Crete Island and Lebanon
• Exported gold, wheat and linen fabrics
• Imported silver, ivory and Lumber
• Manufacturing of pottery, glass and textiles in
factory; shipbuilding, division of labor
• Accounting and bookkeeping, deeds contracts
and wills
• Dealings based on barter but sometimes gold
or copper rings used as currency 23
Pottery and Glasswork
Pot Glass Jars 24

Religion
• Evolution: Polytheism – Monotheism – Polytheism;
initially each city had its local deities
• Unification of the country brought a fusion of deities
• Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) and his queen
Nefertiti worshipped Aten, god of the Sun disk –
Attempt to replace Poletheism with Monotheism
• Powers of nature fused into god Osiris
• Not accepted by the priests and the people
• Tutankhamen restored polytheism
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Akhenaten and Nefertiti
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Aten (Aton)
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Achievements: writing system
• Hieroglyphic and
Demotic scripts
• Three stages of
development:
Pictographic
Syllabic
Alphabetic
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Demotic (Cursive) Script on papyrus
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Architecture and sculpture
Sphinx
Head of Pharaoh on
the body of a lion
symbolizing his
strength and courage
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Painting
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Nefertari, wife of Ramesses II
Painting
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Other achievements
• Good understanding of mathematics and
geometry - decimal system : 1, 10, 100,
etc.
• Solar calendar instead of inaccurate lunar
• water clocks, ramp, lever etc.
• Mummification
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Ramp, water clock, lever and solar calendar
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Suggested Topics
•Egypt and Mesopotamia: contrasts
•Gift of the Nile
•Unification of Egypt
•Mummification
•Pyramid
•Ramesses II
•Egyptian society
•Egyptian economy
•Egyptian religion
•Egyptian inventions
•Egyptian writing system
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Thank You
38

D 5 Egyptian Civilization

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D5: Egypt: Unification and Old, Middle

and New Kingdoms

• Limited area of fertile soil (less than

Ruled by 31 dynasties during 3 millennia (from 3100

• Absolute state power controlled by the Pharaoh,

Collapse of the Old Kingdom around 2181 BCE

• The most prominent one known as the „Great Pyramid‟

• After Century-long Hyksos rule,

● Occasionally became rulers: Hatshepsut

Pot Glass Jars 24

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